Harvard Art Museums > 2018.7: Pen box with medallions on floral ground Artists' Tools Collections Search Exit Deep Zoom Mode Zoom Out Zoom In Reset Zoom Full Screen Add to Collection Order Image Copy Link Copy Citation Citation"Pen box with medallions on floral ground (Zayn al-ʿAbidin [al-Imami]) , 2018.7,” Harvard Art Museums collections online, Dec 22, 2024, https://hvrd.art/o/355183. Reuse via IIIF Toggle Deep Zoom Mode Download This object does not yet have a description. Identification and Creation Object Number 2018.7 People Zayn al-ʿAbidin [al-Imami] Title Pen box with medallions on floral ground Classification Artists' Tools Work Type pen box Date 1853-1854 Period Qajar period Culture Persian Persistent Link https://hvrd.art/o/355183 Physical Descriptions Medium Watercolor, gold-colored pigments, and lacquer over brass layer on pasteboard Dimensions 3.8 × 3.9 × 22.4 cm (1 1/2 × 1 9/16 × 8 13/16 in.) Inscriptions and Marks inscription: By the artist, written on the prunus trunks Ya Mīr Zayn kamtarīn Zayn al-`Ābidīn 1270 [translation] O Mir Zayn! The most humble Zayn al-`Abidin 1853-54 Provenance Recorded Ownership History Kazem R. Kooros, Houston, Texas (by 1969), gift; to his son Saeed Kouros, Houston, Texas (by 1979), gift; to the Harvard Art Museums, 2018. Acquisition and Rights Credit Line Harvard Art Museums/Arthur M. Sackler Museum, Gift of Saeed Kouros in honor of Kazem R. Kooros Accession Year 2018 Object Number 2018.7 Division Asian and Mediterranean Art Contact am_asianmediterranean@harvard.edu Permissions The Harvard Art Museums encourage the use of images found on this website for personal, noncommercial use, including educational and scholarly purposes. To request a higher resolution file of this image, please submit an online request. Descriptions Description Oblong pen box consisting of a cover and sliding compartment with rounded ends. The top bears three lobed medallions and two pendants, all outlined in gold. These are set against a reddish ground beautifully decorated with symmetrical designs of small flowers and leaves. The three medallions hold vignettes of birds perched on the branches of flowering prunus plants set against a black background. The artist's name Zayn al-ʿAbidin and the date 1270 H. (1853-1854) are written on the prunus trunks. Symmetrical floral compositions fill the pendants. The sides and ends bear horizontal segments filled with floral scrolls against a red background. These alternate with smaller segments with iris and poppies set against a dark brown background. The base is decorated with fine gold scrollwork on dark brown background. Exhibition History Technologies of the Image: Art in 19th-Century Iran, Harvard Art Museums, Cambridge, 08/26/2017 - 01/07/2018 Verification Level This record was created from historic documentation and may not have been reviewed by a curator; it may be inaccurate or incomplete. Our records are frequently revised and enhanced. For more information please contact the Division of Asian and Mediterranean Art at am_asianmediterranean@harvard.edu
